Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-29
Latin, or No Latin.

To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
i have read the articles Of Parent and "A p
N" IN reference to the teaching OF Latin In the
High school, and the pronunciation OF Latin proper
names IL may be all very well to know what Dr.
Arnold and some other professors think about the
subject. AMI TO debate as TO whether the name
Cicero should be pronounced Kikero or Sisero: but
i think a FAR more important question TO US Is
limited schOo. funds TO teach Nc at an For
the want Of means. buildings and teachers chill
Gren IN tne NTH and sixth grades, and even in the
day schools! All the education that four-fiftbs of
the children get Is in the first six grades and n Is
not right TO take the money which ought 10 be used
10 give This great mass Of the children the simplest
Clements or an education. and spend it to give
few this higher, and in nine cases out OF ten use
les INSTRUCTION In the dead Languages IL is tax
Ing the public for the benefit Of the few It IS A
com Irte reversal OF the doctrine OF "the greatest
gool 10 the greatest number" II few people
want these extra frills and furbeows, let them
pay Tor them themselves, and not rob the Children
OF the poor 10 get them l am not opposed 10 the
higher education, not at all; but We should have
tar Hecessittes rrst ana the hpruries afterward
Besides, my experience with men has proven the
truth " statement made years ago by promi-
70 student who was bewailing the fact thar he
did not have classical education, that ssIf a man
has g0d practical common sense IL won't hurt
MIN 20 90 10 college; but II he hasn't IL is pretty
rzye 10 MAKE a 5oOt ofhi1a-' And that is the ex,
Per1ence and observation OF every practical man
little SIN altering Of the higher branches Is very
apt TO make one ridiculous and nothing more
The argument OF a. p. NJ" that becauss. the Ro
.sAh. 2,Ucy years ago pronounced Cesar TX aisar"
lso the same sort that OF those who insist on re-
tanning the antlquated photography OF the English
iansuage-who Insist on spelling pillow ssplough"
AZ -axe," and 50 For one have no patience
with these antiquated fossils.these obstacles TO
prgress and Improvement; and the sooner they
are trampled under foot, n they won't get out OF
The way, the better for humanity
suppJse We were 10 20 back 10 the spelling and
Ironuf OF our own language but three or four
hQndrtd years. how many OF the present genera
ton could make any Use out OF &c? And yet that
would De the logical result OF A. r. M s Argument
nargunent 10 could be called. Instead OF going
packw ard We should 20 forw ard, and so Improve
our language as 10 have as many Characters or
letters In the alphabet as there are sounds ana
eliminate all silent letters. Then we should smell
Al words as they are pronounced, and pronounce
~ words as they would be spelled Then no one
nearnS WORD pronounced could be In doubt as
10 how II should D. spelled, and any one seeing a
word written or printed could not BE- In doubt as
70 bow IL should be pronounced When that Is
cone. as IL Will De In the future the English lam
Ruage VIII become the universal language OF the
civlzei world as the English with It's present
miserable photography, Is the almost universal
language OF commerce the world over. Words are
simply cups 10 convey ideas, and t Is far more i'm
portant 10 Us 70 know what they mean-what idea
is In the cup-than IL Is 10 know how IL was
spelled or pronounced two thousand, or even
hundred years ago. III we were going back to
make speech 70 those old Romans OF course we
should want 70 be able 70 speak 10 them In a man.
ner - they could understand Us; but inasmuch as
Sney anu Their language are both dead, appre-
nsna y Is ot very little consequence 10 the present
generation OF Americans now they pronounced the
names VI Their men, public OF private.
A 1Ax-PAYING PARENT,
"hOse children are In halliday schools